


What the Hell, Dad?

by Layneee



Series: Parent-Teacher Problems [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bad Spying, Claire-centric, Father-Daughter Relationship, First Dates, POV Outsider, Possible Future Claire Novak/Kaia Nieves Implied, Recreational Drug Use, Single Parent Castiel, Teacher Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 15:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layneee/pseuds/Layneee
Summary: “How do you manage to go to one parent-teacher conference and come out with a date?”Or the story of how Claire Novak was not happy about her father dating her teacher, especially when she had to see it.





	What the Hell, Dad?

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely got the idea for this while watching _The Princess Diaries_. Plus, I needed to write something, and my other stories are giving me some trouble. If you haven't seen _The Princess Diaries_ yet. Um... why not? It's on Netflix. So you should do that. After you read this, obviously.

Claire couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Like, what the Hell? She had just moved to this goddamned school, barely knew anyone, and now this? She would be lucky if _anyone_ talked to her after this. Talk about prime new girl gossip.

What. The. Fucking. Hell?

“How do you manage to go to one parent-teacher conference and come out with a date?” She asked her father who was not looking nearly as cowed as she would like. She was sending him her best glare too, and nada. He hasn’t stopped smiling dreamily since he got home an hour ago.

(In any other circumstances she would be happy for him. Castiel Novak had pretty much sworn off dating ever since he and Claire’s mom divorced, even though Amelia had already remarried their old friend Roger. But these were not normal circumstances.)

Castiel sighed and sat crouched down in from of the chair Claire had collapsed into when she'd heard the news. “Claire, Dean- I mean Mr. Winchester- is a very nice man, who’s not married, not living with anyone, and he just seems… interesting.”

He’s leaving out that _Mr. Winchester_ is also smoking hot, which should be illegal for a high school English teacher, but Claire refuses to acknowledge that when she’s trying to remain angry.

“Okay, fine. But did it ever occur to you that we _just_ moved here, and if you dated one of my teachers it would pretty much guarantee I’d get mocked for, like, ever?” Claire asked her father with a raised brow.

Castiel’s shoulders slumped and he reached forward to push a lock of hair behind her ear lovingly. “No, I didn’t, and I should have. I’m sorry, Claire-bear. I can- I’ll call Dean and cancel. You’re future happiness is more important.”

Well, shit. Now Claire felt like an asshole.

“No, don’t do that. You look… excited or whatever. I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.” Which was very true. Claire couldn’t even remember the last time that her dad acted like this. Like a kid on Christmas Eve who just knew they would get to open presents tomorrow.

“I mean… are you absolutely sure? I will cancel if that’s what you’d like. You can be honest,” Castiel said. And yup, he was wearing his you-can-tell-me-cause-I’m-your-dad-and-I-will-still-love-you face.

Part of Claire still wanted to say no, she wasn't sure. She wasn't lying about the mocking. She was sure that would happen. But then she realized that the kinds of kids who would mock her for who her dad was dating probably weren't the people she'd wasn't to hang out with _anyway_. She could use this as a way to weed out the assholes, right? It could be considered a win-win. "Nah, you can go on your date," Claire finally told him. 

Claire was then blessed to see one of her dad's full on, beaming smiles. They were normally reserved for big moments, so seeing one now was pretty incredible. "Thank you, Claire. I really didn't want to cancel. I haven't met someone like Dean in a very, _very_  long time." His smile turned wistful, and that was Claire's cue to leave. 

"Alright, cool, good talk." Claire stood up and inched around where her father was still crouching. "I got homework, so I'm gonna..." She picked up her bag and walked towards her room. 

"I love you, honey," Castiel called after her.

"Love you too, dad," Claire replied before shutting herself in her room. 

Ugh. 

Whatever happened, it was going to make school interesting.

* * *

If Claire didn't know any better she would think that Mr. Winchester was stoned. 

All class he'd been distracted and smiley and  _way_ too nice to Gordon when he caught him cheating on the pop quiz. 

Unfortunately, Claire  _did_ know better. Was this good mood really because of her dad? The weird, dorky tax accountant who bought Claire her first box of tampons and once cried because he accidentally crushed a ladybug with a _Harry Potter_ paperback? One promised date and Mr. Winchester was suddenly all sunshiney and  _nice_? Well, he'd always been nice, but in a grumpy old man kinda way. 

It was just... weird. 

He didn't treat Claire any different though, and that was good. There were probably rules about that that he would have to follow if he and her dad became a thing. 

When the bell rang at the end of class Claire found herself lingering as she packed up her stuff. She was watching Mr. Winchester, so she didn't miss when he slipped his phone out of his pocket. He read something on the screen and honest to God  _blushed_ , before typing something back. 

Okay, so apparently Mr. Winchester was just as schmoopy as her dad over this whole  _date_ thing. 

Ugh. 

Just awesome. 

* * *

They were playing soccer in P.E. which sucked. The only good things about the stupid class were Alex and Kaia. Claire wouldn't call them all besties, or whatever, but they were acquaintances. Sometimes Claire would eat lunch with the two girls, even if it was still a little awkward. (Maybe it was awkward because she kinda _liked_ Kaia, and didn't know how to tell if the other girl felt the same.) 

Thankfully they hated sports too, so they all tended to sneak off until Mrs. Mills called for attention at the end of the period. 

Today they didn't go very far, just to the bleachers, where they were able to sneak underneath them for some privacy. Alex had a little hiding spot where she stashed her pot, and was quick to light a joint and take a long drag. She passed it to Kaia, who followed her lead. "You want?" Kaia asked her, holding out the joint. 

Normally Claire would say no, but her brain has been a mess with the whole dad and Mr. Winchester thing, and maybe getting a little high would help that. She took the joint and raised it to her lips, taking a generous hit. 

"Are you okay?" Alex asked as she took the joint back. "You've been all," she wiggled her hands in the air in a distracted kind of way, "today."

Claire took the joint back and took another hit, holding the smoke in as she confessed, "My dad's goin' on a date with Mr. Winchester." She blew the smoke out, and giggled at the other girls' expressions. 

"What?" Alex finally asked. "You're dad? And Mr. Winchester? What?"

"Apparently, Mr. Winchester asked him out at their conference. Or maybe my dad did the asking? I don't really know, man," Claire told them. 

"You're dad's gay?" Kaia asked, and her tone was...  _weird_. 

"Pretty sure he's bisexual. That a problem?" Claire shot back, emotions running a little high (no pun intended) with the pot kicking around her system. If Kaia ended up being a bigot there was no chance Claire had a shot. 

"No! Obviously," Kaia said quickly with a blush. (Which was all kinds of interesting and promising.) "Sorry, I know that sounded super rude. I'm just surprised."

"I'm more surprised about Mr. Winchester," Alex said before taking another hit. "I'm pretty sure he and Ms. Braeden were fucking last year." 

"Huh." Claire reached for the joint and took another final hit before handing it back to Kaia and shaking her hands. "If I smoke anymore I'm not gonna be able to function in algebra. But at least I'm not wigging out over this shit with my dad anymore. Thanks, guys."

Kaia threw down the roach and put it out with the heel of her shoe. "We should spy on their date."

Claire actually busted up laughing. That would be a sight. Watching her dad and teacher acting all schmoopy  _in person_? Gross. "Why the hell would I want to do that?"

Kaia shrugged. "I mean, it could be fun, right? Like a nature documentary.  _Crikey_ , 'ere we 'ave a high school teacher spotted in the wild!" Kaia had put on a horrible Australian accent, making both girls laugh. 

Claire was still grossed out. This was  _her dad_ and  _teacher_ they were talking about. But Kaia did make it seem like it could be fun. And she said 'we' meaning they'd be doing this  _together_. Spying is, like, friendship stuff. She could handle a little parental uncomfortableness if it meant making actual friends. 

"Fine," Claire sighed. "How do we make this happen?"

* * *

Claire had to wait until her dad was taking his post-run shower to execute the first step of their plan. 

 _"Get into his phone. He and Mr. Winchester probably texted the details"_ Alex had said. 

Thankfully Castiel left his phone in the kitchen where he dropped it after his run. Claire grabbed it as soon as she heard the water turn on. She put in his password (her birthday, because Castiel was such a typical  _dad_ ) and opened his messages. She mentally crossed her fingers that she didn't see anything that would scar her for life. She was  _pretty sure_ her dad wouldn't send dick pics before the first date, at least. 

For them having only met the day before there were... a lot of messages. Some were normal getting to know you type texts, but some were downright sugary sweet. Her dad even sent Mr. Winchester a selfie! 

It was (honestly) kinda cute. Who knew her dad knew how to use emojis? 

Below the selfie was the information she needed. 

Okay, so they both liked emojis. Who knew? Anyway, she screenshotted the date information and put her dad's phone back where she found it. 

Back in the safety of her own room she send the image off to Alex and Kaia. The two girls replied quickly and they all formed a plan. 

Dress for stealth, and meet at the roadhouse in an hour to scope the place out. Despite her earlier reservations, Claire found she was looking forward to the spy mission. 

* * *

The three girls were crammed into a small booth in the corner of the bar and grill. They figured it was the best vantage point to see the entirety of the restaurant. Claire was smushed into the corner, ready to hide behind Kaia if her dad happened to look their way. A perky blonde waitress wandered over and took their order to three cokes. She raised a brow at their all black, stealthy ensembles, but said nothing. 

They didn't have to wait very long for one of the men to arrive. Mr. Winchester walked through the door first, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with a worn leather jacket thrown on top. He looked... nothing like a high school teacher. The blonde waitress practically jumped over the bar to tackle him. Claire was getting really pissed about his flirting, until he put the girl in a headlock and gave her a noogie. They were probably siblings, or something like it. 

Mr. Winchester released her and pointed at secluded table, saying something with a grin. The girl raised a brow but didn't reply as their teacher walked away. 

"He looks nervous," Alex said. "It's kinda sweet." 

Whatever Claire was going to say in response was interrupted when the door opened again and Claire dad walked in. He had a big smile on his face as his eyes zeroed in on their teacher. All three girls' heads turned on a swivel towards their teacher who was smiling equally big. He stood as Castiel approached the table and leaned close enough to press a kiss to her dad's cheek. 

"Ugh, why did I agree to this?" Claire asked as the two men sat down at their table, and even Claire could see their ankles knock under the table. 

"Shh!" Her friends both hushed. 

The three girls fell into silence as they watched the men. 

"What're we watchin'?" A voice said beside them, making all three girls jump. They turned to see the blonde server standing beside their booth. 

"Uhh, nothing!" Kaia said, all too loudly for their stealth mission. 

" _Sure_ ," the server replied skeptically. "I doubt y'all know Dean. I'm assuming you're here for the other guy?"

"That's my dad," Claire admitted. 

The blonde nodded her head thoughtfully. "Huh. Interesting." 

"Don't tell them we're here," Claire asked. 

The blonde laughed. "You're secret is safe with me."

The date seemed to be going smoothly. The men both ordered beers and burgers. Mr. Winchester got onion rings, while her dad got sweet potato fries. They each hold out small bites for the other, maintaining a gross amount of eye contact. At one point Mr. Winchester reached up to wipe something off Castiel cheek with his thumb. Her dad leaned into the contact. The blonde server approached the table every once and a while. Mr. Winchester seemed embarrassed by whatever she had to say, and her dad just laughed good-naturedly at his suffering. Every time she left the table, the blonde would look their way and wink. The girls each drank two more cokes, and demolished a plate of mozzarella sticks. 

When the men finished their food, the blonde cleared their plates and shared a few words with Mr. Winchester. She rolled her eyes when Mr. Winchester sent her a boyish grin. A few minutes later she returned with a large slice of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Mr. Winchester made a move to steal the whole piece himself, but eventually slid it so it was between the two men. He loaded a bite on his fork and held it out to Castiel. 

"They're almost too sweet," Claire said with a grimace. 

"I think it's cute," Kaia replied. "Look, they're leaving!" 

The girls watched as Castiel slid the rest of the pie into a to-go box while Mr. Winchester forced some money into the blonde's apron. "Dammit, Jo! Take my fuckin' money already!" He scolded with a grin. Once Mr. Winchester successfully paid for their meal he held out his hand for Castiel, who took it happily. They made their way out of the bar together. The three girls rushed to leave some money on the table and follow them out. 

In the parking lot they all looked around, but couldn't see either man. Finally Alex threw out a hand, pointing across the street. "There! In the park!"

"Aww!" Kaia gushed. "They're taking a moonlit stroll!" 

"Shh!" Claire hushed. "Let's go."

Silently they crossed the parking lot, ducking behind cars and poles and trees, until they were within eyeshot of the couple. 

They were sitting side by side on a bench, box of pie held between them. They didn't seem to speak as they used one fork to finish the dessert. Once it was done, Mr. Winchester set the box aside and scooted closer to Claire's dad. Then his eyes scanned the park. Satisfied with whatever he saw, he leaned forward to whisper a few words into Castiel's ear. Whatever it was made Castiel laugh and nod. Them before Claire could prepare herself, _Mr. Winchester was climbing into her dad's lap_ and pressing a wet opened mouthed kiss to his mouth. She even saw tongue!  _Tongue!_

Claire couldn't hold in her shriek as she covered her eyes and ran, blindly, back to the restaurant's parking lot. "Eww. Eww. Eww," she chanted as she fumbled for her key fob. 

Alex and Kaia laughed at her distress. "It's not that bad, dude," Alex said, after she composed herself. 

"Say that again when it's your mom macking on one of your teachers," Claire grumbled. She finally found her fob and unlocked the car. "I need to go home and bleach my brain. But, uhh, until just now I was really having fun," Claire said to the other two girls. 

"Us too!" Alex and Kaia said together. 

"Let's get together again soon, okay?" Kaia added with a grin. 

Claire felt herself blush, but thankfully the dark hid it. "I'd like that." 

Alex pulled her into a hug, then Kaia (who's hug was slightly tighter and longer, to Claire's happiness). Claire climbed into her Subaru and send her two new friends a wave before driving home. 

She very pointedly  _did not_ look at the park as she passed. 

* * *

Claire crawled into her bed, hoping sleep would erase the images from her memory. No teenager should have to watch her father suck face with one of her teachers. It just wasn't fair! 

Eventually she fell asleep, dreams thankfully absent. 

At one point she woke up to the sound of the front door opening and closing. 

Claire rolled over and looked at the clock. 

Four o'clock in the morning. 

Eww. Gross. Her dad was  _so_ grounded. 

 

* * *

* * *

Text Transcripts:

From Castiel: ([selfie of Cas with doll hands coming out of his sleeves](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/32088216075778524/))

                     Why do we even have these in the office?

From Dean:   ha! bet that makes tax season more interesting

From Castiel: (crying laughing emoji)

* * *

From Castiel: (crying laughing emoji)

                     I am looking forward to tonight. It's been a long time since someone has captured my attention so completely. 

From Dean:   (blushing emoji) same

                     where do you want to go 2nite?

From Castiel: I am fine wherever. You're the expert here.

From Dean:   no pressure at all (2 winking emojis)

                     how do you feel about burgers at the roadhouse?

                     meet there at 7?

From Castiel: That sounds perfect. I'll see you then. (blushing kiss emoji)

* * *

* * *

 


End file.
